In my coaching iBook The Need for Change, I call for the need of mutual accountability on the part of coaches towards the players. Ninety-nine percent coaches are invested in their players emotionally; somehow, this dedication is at times lost in attacking defenses. An example of what I am talking about can be revealed below with the standard 4 vertical pattern. While it certainly has answers for multiple coverage possibilities, certain categories simply relegate the pattern to "settling" rather than attacking. For instance, vs. Man Free, the locked seam is of no use, allowing the Free Safety and extra underneath player to help on the seam read and back, respectively. Patterns should attack the full depth and width of the field - the elimination of targets by coverage allows the defense to level the playing field.

Gripes are no good without a solution; below is a teaching video example of what I am talking about. We strive to give our players the ultimate pattern, regardless of the defense we will see. Here, the seam read is mated with a variation of the SNAG pattern on the frontside. Doing so has distinctive advantages:

1. The coverage is threatened to the fullest2. It keeps patterns alive by giving the defense multiple threats that must be respected3. It allows the offense to manage its strengths (ie - who is the good seam reader and free him up)

Most of all, it allows the offense to be efficient with its pieces, allowing the offense to work techniques and routes that always keep the offense playing downhill.